Propeller supporting and driving mechanism



Feb. 13, 1945.

G. L. WILLIAMS PROPELLER SUPPORTING AND DRIVING MECHANISM Filed July 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Geoz ge L. Williams MXKM ATTORNEY.

Feb. 13, 1945.

G. L. WILLIAMS PROPELLER SUPPORTING AND DRIVING MECHANISM Filed July 1, 1943 HUI! [H 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE NTOF\' 6601191911.! llz'ams mfm ATTOR NEY.

4 two completely isolated from all ments of the crankshaft relative to itssupport; A still furtherjiobject of the invention is the provision of an "improved 'and simplified propeller mechanism includ with gearing F8 to Paientedi-"eb. 13, 1945 q T' FATE NT. OFFICE 1 gfzssa izzi a p PRQPELISERFSUPPORTINGDRIVING" a a Ll Wanna s, Manchester, Conn, assignor H to United.Aircraftcorporation; East Hartford, I 1

'Conn., a.icorporation of Delaware appsmin 1,;1943, seams. 4513;062 comm; loin-atom} This invention relates "to improved propeller supporting and drivingmech anijsmand has par ticulam-referenceto an improved mechanism thereby.

forming the driving connection-"betweenan en j ginefcrankshaftfland a propeller shaft driven Qne ohjoct o ff thepresent-invention isthe pm.

vision of such an improved driving mechanism in "which the propeller shaft is supported inde pendently of the engine crankshaft and hason'ly a torsional connection therewith.

A further object is "the provision of an imj provedpropeller shaft driving mechanism including "reduction gearing associated with the propeller shaft and a loose splined coupling between an element ofsaidreduction gearing on said propeller: shaft andthe 'engine crankshaft in which the propeller shaft and gearing are eccentric move shaft supportingand driving ing reduction gearing of "the fplanetary type.

Other objects and advantages will be more particularly pointed outhereinafter or willbe-j come apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawingsfin which like reference characters are used to designate similair parts,

Flig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the nose or front "section ofan aircraft engine showing fragmentary portions of the engine crankshaft and the propeller shaft with one form of improved driiting connectiontherebetween;

'F'ig. Z i'sa similar view'of amodifiedjform of driving connection.

In'the construction shown irfFigiQth nu meral 10 indicatesthefrontportion of an engine crankcase forming a support for an engine crankshaft" I 2. A gear housing ll coinpris'ing an extension of the crankcase providesgan "enj cl'osur-efor the propeller'yshaft i6 and the reduction gearing associated therewith generally indicated at I8. WA loose coupling member 20 hereinafter more" form a torsional drivin connectionbetween shafts 12am (6.

fullyfl described cooperates once initially present between the shaft and'the bearing, results "in wobbling vibration of the crankshaft. It hasbeen common practice, par ticularly in" radial engines, to support the propeller shafttand crankshaftone within the other at. Dr near this-lfront crankshaft bearing, 22.

Thewradialamotion of the crankshaft within the clearances due to gas .forces actingon the crankpins through the pistons and rods is transmitted directly to the propeller shaft, resulting in vibra tionsof thepropel'lerbladesand the engine. This vibrationfoftenuhas been found to be very severe and even dangerous. It is among the objects of thisrinventionto provide a construction forpreventing the transmission of this wobbling vibration of -the crankshaft to the propeller shaft and to the reduction gearing associated therewith. To this end "thepropeller shaft and the reductiongea-r'ing are supported'in the housing l4 wholly independently of the engine crankshaft;

The forward journalfbr the propeller shaft com prises an anti-friction bearing "24 in the nose of this hearing being housing It, theinner raceof secured on the shaft between a shoulder 26and a clamping ring28 threaded on the shaft while the outer race 30 is'positioned in the front end ofthe housing I4 by a ring 32 boitedto the fore The crankshaft rz has a front bearingiz in i the crankcase the engine becomes l0; It has been found) that when heated: in j normal running 1 the portion of the crankcase. I11 Whichsupports H the bearing 22 expands more" than the bearing, permitting someradialimovemient of the bear;

ingin its supportwhich; together-withthe clear to studs 4 provided with sleeves ing ring "Mlfrom the flange 42', .may be supplemented by other means such as ward endofthe housing ['4 'The propeller shaft is supported at its rear end on an inwardly directed web or partition extending inwardly from the housing M and having aboited connection 36 to thehousing. The web 34 has an annularpassage 35 of substantial dimensions in axial alignment with a forwardly directed flange 39. surrounding the passage. The bearing 38 supports the outer gear cage ring 40 which is connected rigidly toan annular flange 42formed integral with the propeller shaft'by a seriesxof penpherially spaced 46 suitably spac- This connection lugs formed integrally with either member 40 or 4 2 'and'spacedtoproject between the planet gears 'and to make contact between members 40 and 42 with a through bolt to insure rigidity.

Each sure 44 carries an, elongated planetary the shafts l2 and [Band carries an:ariti-frictionbearingfitsupported on of the planetary I4 by the bolted of the flange 64 of the coupling 2|! which projects through the passage 36 into the sleeve 60. At its rear end the coupling 20 is provided with external splines 66 which cooperate with similar internal splines formed in the annular side wall I of a recess 63 in the forward end of the crankshaft.

The splines at the opposite ends of the coupling member 20 have intentionally a free'fit with the corresponding splines on the crankshaft I2 and the rotatable sun gear 50 so that the coupling 20 has a small degree of freedom of angular movement and provides, in effect, a universal joint interposed between the crankshaft and the planetary gearing within the limits of the'radial movement of the crankshaft due to the wobble vibration. 1

As a result of this vconstructionla simplified support, is provided for the propeller shaft and its associated reduction gearing, it being noted in this connection that the propeller shaft and gearing require only three major bearings. Further by means of the overhanging bearing support for the cage of the reduction gearing an exceedingly compact and simple structure results.

It will also be apparent that as a result of having the adjacent ends of the crankshaft and pro-- peller shaft spaced apart and connected only by the free splined coupling above described, the transmission of wobble or eccentric vibrations of the crank shaft to the propeller shaft and its associated reduction gearing is entirely eliminated with a resultant decrease invibration as well as a'decrease in wear on the gearing.

I In the modification shown in Fig. 2 a generally similar construction is provided utilizing bevel planetary pinions in place of the spur gear pinions of the Fig. 1 construction. In this figure the crank shaft I2a is supported in the forward portion Illa of the crankcase by an anti-friction bearing 22a and the propeller shaft Ilia is journaled to the front of the housing Main an antifriction bearnig 24a. The rear journal for the propeller shaft cOmprises an anti-friction bearing 58a carried by an inwardly directed web 34a carried by housing Ma. The inner race I0 of bearing 58a is positioned on shaft I6a between a rear annular collar I2 carried by the shaft and a forward clamping ring I4 threaded to the shaft and secured by a locking ring 16. The outer race 18 of bearing 58a is positioned by an annular plate 80 which is boltedto the rear face of web 34a and has an annular flange 82 concentric with the propeller shaft and provided, with external teeth 85 adapted to engage the corresponding internal teeth on the hub of a stationary bevel gear 88 which is supported on the rotatable shaft Ilia by an anti-friction bearing 88. A plurality of forwardly directed planetary pinion carrying studs 90 carried by propeller shaft I6a support the beveled planetary pinions 92 in position to cooperate with the fixed bevel gear 86 and also to cooperate'with the t'eethof a rotatable bevel gear 04 which is journaled on a reduced rear end portion of the propeller shaft by anti-friction bearing 96. 'The bearing96 is held axially in place on the shaft by means of a ring 98 threaded to the'end of the shaft in a usual manner.

.secured to the crankshaft A free spline coupling I00 is provided for con-- necting the crankshaft I2a with the rotatable gear 94, this coupling being provided at its rear end with internal splines I02 which engage with corresponding external splines on a sleeve I 04 I211 by a key I06. At its forward end the coupling I00 is provided with external splines I08 which cooperate with correspohding internally formed splines on a rearwardly extending flange IIO formed integral with the bevel gear 94.

As in the previous construction shown inFig. 1 the splines I 02 and I08 on the coupling I00 havea sufficiently free fit with the cooperating spline on the crankshaft and the gear 94 to permit a. limited amount of angular movement of the coupling relative to the axis of the crankshaft and propeller shaft sufficient to absorb any wobble vibrations of the crankshaft and its bearing 22a inthe crankcase [0a.

Thus it will be evident that in both of the embodiments shownthere is provided a driving connection between the engine crankshaft and the engine supportedpropeller shaftwhich is capable of transmitting only torsional forces transmitted in either direction between the two shafts and more particularly a connection which isolates the propeller shaft from all movement of the crank shaft other than pure rotational movement. 7

While I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings two embodiments of. the invention it 1. In combination, an engine crankcase, a

crankshaft rotatably supported in said crankcase, a housing including an extension of said crankcase, a propeller shaft rotatably supported in said housing independently of and in substantially axial alilgnment with said crankshaft, and torsional driving connections between said shafts including planetary gearing having a rotatable gear journalled on said propeller shaft, a gear restrained from rotation by said housing and planetary pinions'carried by said propeller shaft and cooperating with said gears and a torque coupling member free from lateral support other than loosely splined connections at its opposite ends to said crankshaft and said rotatable gear respectively. I I

2. In combination, an engine crankcase, a crankshaft rotatably supported in said crankcase, a housing including an extension of said crankcase, a propeller shaft rotatably supported in said housing, said propeller shaft being axially spaced from and in substantially axial alignment with said crankshaft, a web extending inwardly from said housing, said propeller shaft having two journals, one in said web toward the rear end of said propeller shaft, and another forward thereof in said housing, and torsional driving connections between said shafts I including planetary gearing having a gear rotatable onsaid propeller shaft and a coupling mechanically independent of both said journals having free spline connections at its opposite ends to said crank shaft and to said-rotatable gear respectively, said connection providing freedom of radial motion of the crankshaft without transmission of said radial motion tothe propeller shaft within theflimits of normal bearing clearances. 

